Petitioners were granted permission to build a sandbag wall to protect their oceanfront properties at The Pointe in Ocean Isle Beach, with a stipulation that the public area of the beach remain unimpeded by the structure.
Vessel operators urged to slow down for endangered whales
Aerial surveyors spotted four critically endangered North Atlantic right whales off Ocracoke Island, and operators of vessels of all sizes are asked to travel no faster than 10 knots through the area.
Wilmington residents see no good in proposed harbor project
None of the proposed alternatives for the State Ports Authority’s plan to accommodate larger container ships at the Wilmington port would boost the local economy and any benefit would be offset by environmental costs, public hearing attendees said.
Manufacture, use of plastics incur staggering societal costs
Duke University researchers have put into dollar figures the true costs to society of cheap plastic products: from $436 billion to $1.1 trillion annually.
Cape Fear nonprofit writes how-to on growing tree canopies
The Wilmington-based Alliance for Cape Fear Trees has released a 45-page guide to help local governments grow greener, healthier canopies.
Opponents urge EPA to uphold objection to Asheboro permit
Those who spoke last week at the Environmental Protection Agency’s hearing on Asheboro’s wastewater permit urged the EPA to uphold its objection to the city’s proposed permit with no effluent discharge limit for 1,4-dioxane into the drinking water supply of hundreds of thousands downstream.
‘Cautiously optimistic’: Right whale population rises 2.1%
The North Atlantic right whale population rose slightly in 2024, but while marine scientists are encouraged, they say strong protective measures are still needed.
Attorneys allege Chemours hid emission data from public
The company “improperly withheld vital emission data from the public” in its Aug. 14 application to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality, according to a letter to regulators from Southern Environmental Law Center attorneys.
New Bern sailor killed at Pearl Harbor identified decades later
Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward Bowden, who was aboard the USS California on that infamous morning in December 1941 and interred as an unknown for more than 80 years, was laid to rest last week at Arlington, bringing closure for his surviving family.
Builder vows fight to develop land that includes Sledge Forest
Copper Builders founder Wade Miller says misconceptions are fueling opposition to his proposed Hilton Bluffs development on a portion of 4,000 acres including a nationally threatened forest; opponents say entire tract should be conserved.
Steel manufacturer to announce big Hertford County project
Currituck County Republican Sen. Bobby Hanig says the forthcoming announcement of a new company’s nearly $1 billion investment in Hertford County will be “transformational” for the area.
Sand is vanishing on east side of Ocean Isle’s $11M erosion fix
Environmental advocates and federal documents warned of it, but now that erosion has accelerated east of the town’s terminal groin and in front of newly built multimillion-dollar houses, property owners and developers want answers and solutions, quickly.
Vast majority of litter removed from streams is plastic: Study
A three-year study recently published in the journal Community Science finds that about 96% of litter North Carolina waterkeeper organizations and their volunteers removed from trash traps were plastics.
Critics say law will derail health, environmental rulemaking
House Bill 402, which became law this past summer despite the governor’s veto, has drawn sharp criticism from environmental and health advocates who argue it will stifle an already daunting rulemaking process and create significant obstacles to addressing pollution.
Appeals period to begin for Jacksonville’s revised flood maps
Jacksonville recently hosted an informational open house on the proposed updated flood studies and revisions to the 2016 flood insurance rate maps that the city appealed.
Riverkeeper, family man Rick Dove set example for advocates
He was an attorney, retired Marine Corps colonel, mentor, one of the first Riverkeepers in the Southeast and the original Neuse Riverkeeper — Rick Dove, 86, died Aug. 22.
